Dieter Rossmeissl / Andrea Przybilla: Schulsozialpädagogik. Denken und Tun als Weg zum mündigen Menschen. Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt 2006 (257 S.) [Rezension]

Rezension von: Dieter Rossmeissl / Andrea Przybilla: Schulsozialpädagogik. Denken und Tun als Weg zum mündigen Menschen. Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt 2006 (257 S.; ISBN 978-3-7815-1497-3; 18,50 EUR)

Semigroup analysis of structured parasite populations

Motivated by structured parasite populations in aquaculture we consider a class of size-structured population models, where individuals may be recruited into the population with distributed states at birth. The mathematical model which describes the evolution of such a population is a first-order nonlinear partial integro-differential equation of hyperbolic type. First, we use positive perturbation arguments and utilise results from the spectral theory of semigroups to establish conditions for the existence of a positive equilibrium solution of our model. Then, we formulate conditions that guarantee that the linearised system is governed by a positive quasicontraction semigroup on the biologically relevant state space. We also show that the governing linear semigroup is eventually compact, hence growth properties of the semigroup are determined by the spectrum of its generator. In the case of a separable fertility function, we deduce a characteristic equation, and investigate the stability of equilibrium solutions in the general case using positive perturbation arguments.Comment: to appear in Mathematical Modelling of Natural Phenomen

The development of school-related youth welfare services in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania

Die Entwicklung der Zusammenarbeit von Schule und Jugendhilfe in Mecklenburg- Vorpommern ist ein bereits Anfang der 1990er-Jahre eingeleiteter Prozess, der zielgerichtet und systematisch ausgebaut und durch eine interministerielle Arbeitsgruppe gesteuert wird. Die schulbezogene Jugendhilfe impliziert sowohl die schulbezogene Jugendarbeit und die schulbezogene Jugendsozialarbeit als auch den Hort. Diese Kooperation wird gegenwärtig zielstrebig weiterverfolgt, so dass alle Voraussetzungen dafür geschaffen werden sollen, dass dieses Arbeitsfeld ab 2013 verstetigt ist und dauerhafter Bestandteil der Arbeit der Jugendhilfe in der Schule sein soll. (DIPF/Orig.)The development of the cooperation of schools and youth welfare services in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania has already started at the beginning of the 90s; it has been expanded purposefully and systematically and is governed by an inter-ministerial task force. The school-related youth welfare services include school-related youth work, school-related youth social work and after-school care. This cooperation is pursued in a goal-oriented manner at present, because the preconditions shall be established to bring this field of work on an ongoing basis until 2013 and make it a permanent constituent of youth welfare services at school. (DIPF/Orig.

Size-structured populations: immigration, (bi)stability and the net growth rate

We consider a class of physiologically structured population models, a first order nonlinear partial differential equation equipped with a nonlocal boundary condition, with a constant external inflow of individuals. We prove that the linearised system is governed by a quasicontraction semigroup. We also establish that linear stability of equilibrium solutions is governed by a generalized net reproduction function. In a special case of the model ingredients we discuss the nonlinear dynamics of the system when the spectral bound of the linearised operator equals zero, i.e. when linearisation does not decide stability. This allows us to demonstrate, through a concrete example, how immigration might be beneficial to the population. In particular, we show that from a nonlinearly unstable positive equilibrium a linearly stable and unstable pair of equilibria bifurcates. In fact, the linearised system exhibits bistability, for a certain range of values of the external inflow, induced potentially by All\'{e}e-effect.Comment: to appear in Journal of Applied Mathematics and Computin

Ketogenic diet and fasting diet as Nutritional Approaches in Multiple Sclerosis (NAMS): protocol of a randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common inflammatory disease of the central nervous system in young adults that may lead to progressive disability. Since pharmacological treatments may have substantial side effects, there is a need for complementary treatment options such as specific dietary approaches. Ketone bodies that are produced during fasting diets (FDs) and ketogenic diets (KDs) are an alternative and presumably more efficient energy source for the brain. Studies on mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis showed beneficial effects of KDs and FDs on disease progression, disability, cognition and inflammatory markers. However, clinical evidence on these diets is scarce. In the clinical study protocol presented here, we investigate whether a KD and a FD are superior to a standard diet (SD) in terms of therapeutic effects and disease progression. METHODS: This study is a single-center, randomized, controlled, parallel-group study. One hundred and eleven patients with relapsing-remitting MS with current disease activity and stable immunomodulatory therapy or no disease-modifying therapy will be randomized to one of three 18-month dietary interventions: a KD with a restricted carbohydrate intake of 20-40 g/day; a FD with a 7-day fast every 6 months and 14-h daily intermittent fasting in between; and a fat-modified SD as recommended by the German Nutrition Society. The primary outcome measure is the number of new T2-weighted MRI lesions after 18 months. Secondary endpoints are safety, changes in relapse rate, disability progression, fatigue, depression, cognition, quality of life, changes of gut microbiome as well as markers of inflammation, oxidative stress and autophagy. Safety and feasibility will also be assessed. DISCUSSION: Preclinical data suggest that a KD and a FD may modulate immunity, reduce disease severity and promote remyelination in the mouse model of MS. However, clinical evidence is lacking. This study is the first clinical study investigating the effects of a KD and a FD on disease progression of MS

Global Continua of Positive Equilibria for some Quasilinear Parabolic Equation with a Nonlocal Initial Condition

This paper is concerned with a quaslinear parabolic equation including a nonlinear nonlocal initial condition. The problem arises as equilibrium equation in population dynamics with nonlinear diffusion. We make use of global bifurcation theory to prove existence of an unbounded continuum of positive solutions

Enhanced diffusion due to active swimmers at a solid surface

We consider two systems of active swimmers moving close to a solid surface, one being a living population of wild-type \textit{E. coli} and the other being an assembly of self-propelled Au-Pt rods. In both situations, we have identified two different types of motion at the surface and evaluated the fraction of the population that displayed ballistic trajectories (active swimmers) with respect to those showing random-like behavior. We studied the effect of this complex swimming activity on the diffusivity of passive tracers also present at the surface. We found that the tracer diffusivity is enhanced with respect to standard Brownian motion and increases linearly with the activity of the fluid, defined as the product of the fraction of active swimmers and their mean velocity. This result can be understood in terms of series of elementary encounters between the active swimmers and the tracers.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures in color, Physical Review Letters (in production

Das Braunschweiger Trainings- und Beratungsmodell: Professionelle Kompetenzen für Trainings- und Beratungsangebote in psychosozialen Handlungsfeldern

Für professionelles Handeln in Training und Beratung ist insbesondere in psychosozialen Handlungsfeldern die Verankerung professionellen Wissens in handlungsleitenden subjektiven Theorien vonnöten. Hierfür ist neben der Vermittlung fachwissenschaftlicher Grundlagen vor allem der Erwerb von Reflexionskompetenz relevant. Im Rahmen des Studienprogramms „Braunschweiger Trainings- und Beratungsmodell“ (TrauBe) können Studierende des Lehramts und der Erziehungswissenschaft daher über das fachliche Studium hinausgehende professionelle Kompetenzen für Trainings- und Beratungsangebote in psychosozialen Handlungsfeldern und damit eine berufspraktische Basisqualifikation für die eigene (berufliche) Tätigkeit in diesem Bereich erwerben. Insbesondere wird angenommen, dass die Teilnahme an TrauBe einen positiven Einfluss auf u. a. Reflexionskompetenz, Kommunikation, Selbstwirksamkeitserwartungen, Copingstrategien und Studienzufriedenheit hat. Zur Überprüfung, ob TrauBe die beabsichtigten Ziele erreicht, wurde im Jahr 2017 eine Programmevaluation im Sinne einer Wirksamkeitsevaluation (Gollwitzer & Jäger, 2007) gestartet. Erste Analysen zeigen, dass TrauBe-Studierende bereits zu Beginn von TrauBe höhere Werte in analytischer und lösungsorientierter Reflexion, Offenheit, Lernund Herausforderungsorientierung sowie Zufriedenheit mit den Studieninhalten erzielen